DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's parliament Wednesday (May 29) approved new counterterrorism authorities for the Defense Ministry's Military Intelligence Directorate, Asia-Plus reported Wednesday (May 29).
The amendments to the legislation regarding military intelligence agencies now allow them to act within Tajikistan, not only abroad, according to First Deputy Defence Minister Emomali Sobirzod.
"The adoption of the amendments lays the legal foundation for the creation of additional sources of funding for activities of the military intelligence agencies, conduct of clandestine and non-clandestine intelligence measures, management of military intelligence agencies in wartime, and the use of weapons and of military and specialised vehicles during the performance of official duties," he told parliament.
The move is an important measure to fight terrorist sleeper cells across the country, Sobirzod said.
"The rapidly changing situation in the world and in the region, the growth of threats of terrorism and extremism, and the existence of terrorist sleeper cells inside the country... require bringing the powers of military intelligence agencies in line with the requirements of the fight against modern threats," he said.
